Current Photo - 5/23/08
Biography: I am 32 years old, married to an amazing husband for 7 years, 2 dogs and 2 cats. No kids (yet!). I have had issues with my weight since high school. My weight has gone up and down multiple times over the past 15 years. When I went away to college, I developed binge-eating disorder which I have struggled with since late 1995. During this time, I maintained a fairly high level of physical activity, so my weight never got as high as it could have given the vast quantities of food I consumed! My highest weight ever was about 165. I have tried many diets over the years – very few with any results – none with long-term results. I went through times of success, but usually fairly short-lived. Inevitably I would turn back to the emotional eating, which would lead to the weight gain, which would lead to negative thinking, which would lead to the food, and on and on in a vicious downward spiral. I got down to about 140 before we got married, but about 6 months later, the weight started creeping back up slowly but surely, and then faster as the downward spiral continued.
Why and When you got involved with PnP: I was involved in another weight loss program (First Place) and some online boards. CindyP was on those boards and e-mailed some links to the PnP website – planning for weekends, and other helpful links. I checked out the website and immediately knew this was the place for me. My biggest frustration with some of the other weight loss programs was that they didn’t take into account my level of activity. I was excited that PnP was primarily about the exercise – staying active, providing great workouts and accountability. I joined PnP on February 21st – after 4 solid days of bingeing. I did a half-marathon on February 17th, and proceeded to eat through the next 4 days. This was fairly typical for me. Lots of exercise and lots of food.
What types of workouts you do? I do cardio 6 days a week – swimming, biking and running. I currently lift weights twice a week.
What keeps you motivated? I have learned the importance of setting goals and establishing rewards for those goals. My current goal and the associated reward have stopped me from diving into the M&Ms on more than a couple of occasions in the last few weeks!
Eating plan: I eat 1800 calories on most days, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. That number seems to be working well for me right now. I eat much more clean than I did before coming to PnP. I have one splurge meal a week, but otherwise plan my food in advance for the week – 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day.
Favorite exercise: Anything on a bicycle!
Something you never thought you'd be able to do and either can do or have tried doing: I never thought I’d be able to wear my old favorite ‘skinny’ jeans. I put them on the other day and had room to spare! I don’t think I’ll be wearing them much longer. (That’s them in the picture with the striped shirt)
October, 2006 with my husband
How has PnP affected your life? How hasn’t it affected my life?! In the last 3 months I have lost 11 pounds and 15 inches. Now that I know how many calories I need to be eating, and I am tracking them, I don’t have as many cravings for junky food. I plan my food and my workouts in advance, and I follow that plan. I have a great place to go to check in with what’s happening, get advice on my menus, my workouts, advice for new and future moms, and just about anything else I could imagine. For the first time in several years, I feel good about myself. I have great energy, and my racing has really improved. I feel like I have found an amazing group of women (and Bill!) that understand my issues with my body, my food, and my exercise. I’ve felt so alone over the years with my struggles, and now I feel like part of a big family!
What do you think of the PnP Site and what suggestions would you have for us? The PnP Site rocks my socks! I love it! The variety of information available is phenomenal. Corinne and the mods do a great job and the site seems to improve each month. There is so much information and motivation here – you just need to look for it! Then take it, apply it, and watch the magic happen!
Other Comments: I would like to say that this is NOT easy! If it were easy, we would all be happy with where we are with our bodies and there wouldn't be a multi-million dollar diet industry out there! What I love about PnP is that Corinne and everyone else are there to help you figure out what the "right" way is for you, and to guide you as you figure it out for yourself. There is no single answer for each one of us. And it's not easy - I fell off the wagon for about 3 weeks in April, and not only did Corinne help me get back on - she saved my seat and dusted it off for me, and everyone at PnP helped me to set some goals for myself and figure out where I went wrong and what I needed to change. I'm so thankful that everyone is here for me to celebrate the good times and pick me up during the bad! This community is unlike any I've ever seen and I feel so blessed to be a part of it!!